Process of conditioning grain.



No. 825,378. PATENTS]? JULY 10, 1906. H. J. CALDWELL & J. R. BARR. PROCESS OF CONDITIONING GRAIN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10I 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l No. 825,378. PATENTED JULY 1Q, 1906. H. J. CALDWELL & J. R. BARR. PROCESS OI CONDITIONING GRAIN.

APPLICATION I'ILE D NOV-10, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY J. CALDWELL AND JAMES It. BARR, OF EARL PARK, INDIANA.

PROCESS OF CONDITIONING GRAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1906.

Application filed November 10, 1902. Serial No. 130.768.

To all whom.- it may concern.-

' larly adapted for removing forei n glrowthssuch as smut, must, rust, and t e ikeand Weather-stains, mildew, and the like, which when present seriously affect the rade and commercial value of the grain. en the grain is so aifected, it presents a dirty and unattractive appearance, has an unnatural musty odor, and many products made therefrom Will'also be discolored and all be afi'ected by an undesirable odor. We have found, however, that such conditions are lar ely superficial and do not affect the real qusility of the grain, the natural color of the rain being in most instances concealed an not destroyed by the discoloration, the natural aroma of the grain also bein present, but concealed by the heavier 0 or of fun us growthsand the like, and the natural quaFity of the grain-kernel remaining unimpaired.

It is therefore the object of our invention to improve the grade and commercial value of the grain by removing the objectionable foreign growths, substances, odors, and stains, and thus restore the grain to its original condition. In a sense, therefore, we merely remove impurities and the like, and thus We term our process a purifying or conditioning process.

At the same time it is the object of our invention to purify and condition the grain as above set forth and leave the grain free from chemical odors and in a cool, dry, and sweet condition regardless of whether or not it was heated or moist before being subjected to our process, and at the same time to accomplish all these results While avoiding danger of fire to the apparatus or grain-treating plant or buildings.

These and such other objects as hereinafter a pear are attained by the devices shown in tffe accompanying drawings and by the process hereinafter described.

branch N, havirg a va In the drawings, Figure 1 indicates a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of one form of apparatus suitable for practicing our process. Fig. leis a sectional view of the valve-box E. Fig. 2 indicates a modification thereof; and Fig. 3 indicates a view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, of Fig. 2.

Like letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referrin by letter to the accompanyin drawin s, indicates a grain-treating stac c of fami iar form; B, a furnace for developing chemical fumes; C, a fume-conduit leading from the furnace to the stack; D, a fan for forcing the fumes into the stack.

E and F are inlet-valves; c, a controlvalve in the fume-pipe G, a water-pipe provided with a sprin ler H and a valve I; J, a branch Water-pipe having a sprinkler K and valve L; M, a steamipe provided witha vs 0, and a branch P, having a valve R is an exhaust-opening leading out of the stack A.

S is a conveyer for conducting grain into the stack A.

T represents deflecting-shelves for agitatingUthe grain .as it falls through the stack A.

represents counterweig ted shelves or gates a jacent to the bottom of the stack A.

V is a conveyer for conveying grain from the bottom of the stack.

W and X are pipes leading from the fan D into the stack, and Y is a valve for controlling communication between the fan D and the pipes W and X.

It is well known that b moistening the surface of grain and then sulb jectin the same to sulfurous gas formed by the combustion of sulfur or otherwise a bleaching process will ensue. As commonly practiced prior to our invention it was supposed that this process must be conducted at a high temperature and that the grain must be subjected to the action of pure or undiluted fumes. The result of treating'grain in this manner is highly objectionable for several reasons. A

First. The

other words, not only is the undesirable stain removed from the grain. but the natural color of the grain is also remover: i its treated grain is given an ummlurnl. LI'Hl Dll" able, and uniformly bleached appeaaauce,

grain is literally bleached, thereby giving it an unnatural WllitGHe-en .ln

- ical odor, which and in removing the unnatural odors the natural aroma of the grain is destroyed.

Second. As a result of subjecting the grain to the action of fumes at their full. strength the chemical seemingly enters the fiber of the grain, and the sulfurous gas so adheres to'the surface of the grainthat it is practically impossible to eliminate the chemis objectionably apparent for a long period, and in some instances for many months after treatment and is rarely ever wholly removed. 1

. Third. lnthe treatment of the grain at a high temperature there is grave danger of impairing and even destroying the germ of the grain, so that it cannot-The used as seedgrain. f Fourth. This excessive heating of the grain may actually injure the quality ofthe grain and certainly so heats it that further extensive manipulation is'required after the treated at a low temperature.

bleaching process in order to cool the grain sufficiently for shipping, storage, or commercial purposes, and this condition is promoted by the fact that with the old process in order to treat the grain at a high temperature it has almost invariably been moistened with steam, as well as sub ected to the fumes at a temperature of between 200 and 300 Fahrenheit. sue a diametrically opposite coursethat is, we seek at all times to keep the grain as cool as ossible-and to attain this result we cool the sulfurous gas and preferably moisten the grain with cold wateror with steamv mixed with large volumes of cold air, so that the grain is In fact, we

I have successfully treated grain by our processa-t ad-temperature of about Fahrenheit. We thus avoid any impairment of the germ of the grain and other injury to the uality of the grain. We also avoid heating t e grain, so as to render necessary any extensive subsequent treatment to cool the same, while at the same time we remove the otherwise ever-present danger of fire arising from the overheated fumes and fume-pipe. Furthermore, we'depart from the previous process of treatment by diluting the fumes with several times their volume of air, and also throwin large quantities of air in contact with t e grain simultaneously with steam when steam is used for moistening. Byso doin we accomplish the following new and valuable results: first, we have found that the fumes so diluted are entirely effective for removing superficial stains, must,

smut, rust, mildew, odors, and the like from the grain without affectingthe natural color of the rain second, we thereby successfully treat the grain without causing the chemical to any material extent, if at all, to enter the grain fiber, chemical tests having demonstrated the fact that in'nnediately after treatment the treating chemical remains With our process, however, we pur-' be, according to fying grain we into t with the grain in such infinitesimal quantities that it can barely be detected by most careful chemical analysis; third, immediately.

after treatment the grain is almost entirely free from any chemical odor and within a day or so after treatment it is found that not only can no chemical odor be detected, but it is from the grain and out of the stack, so that the fumes are in contact with the grain only to such an extent and for such a time vas 1s necessar to accomplish the result desired by us; th, the volume of air introduced into the stack serves also to carry away the surplus moisture, as Well as heat, so that by our process the grain is simultaneously treated to the chemical fumes of the volume of air serves ofitself to assist in the cooling of the fumes to the desired extent. Our improved process may be practiced with the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings in the following manner: Fumes may be generated by burning sulfur within the chamber B, air to promote combustion being admitted to the combustionchamber to any desired extent by means of the slide damper I; of any familiar form. The fumes so generatedare drawn from the chamber B through the conduit-C, which is, in effect, the induction-pipe o The fumes leave the chamber B at a temperature not far from 300 and are preferably first cooled by conducting the pipe C underground for some distance, as shown in Fig. 1, or through a water-jacket Z, as shown in Fi 2. The volume of the fumes drawn throug the fume-pipe C is also regulated by means of the fume-valve c, and the volume of air added thereto is controlled by manipulation of air-valves E and F, through which air is admitted in any desired quantity directly to the pipe C. The fumes or fumes and air so mixed are forced by the fan D into the stack A through pipe the position of the valve Y. when using our process for puriprefer to discharge the fumes e stack A through the pipe X at a point considerably above the bottom of the stack A, thereby lessening the possibility of the escape of the fumes through the bottom of the stack A and into the grain storage or shipping department; but when our apparatus is used merely for cooling or drying grain then we prefer to discharge pure air, either cool or heated, as the case may be, into the In practice the chemical fumes away f the fan D.

X or pipe W, as the case may and-also cooled; sixth, the addition 4 stack A through the pipe W, which is located near the 'bottom of the stack, so that the grain may be subjected for a longer period to the drying action of the current of air. Ordinaril in order to obtain the surface-moisa ture w ch is necessaryfor the eflective treatment of the grain the grain to be treated will be moistened by means of the nozzle H as it passes through the conveyer Sand into the stack A; but as it may be at times desirable to moisten the grain with water shortly after it enters the stack or to'moisten it with steam near the upper end of the stack or to moisten it with steam at a point adja-- cent to'the inlet of the treating-fumes we also provide the water-sprinkler K and the steam-nozzles N and P, any one or all of which can be used at will by manipulation of their respective control-valves. When using steam as a moistening medium, we find it desirable and effective to keep the temperature I, withinthe stack at a low point by providing an air-inlet ipe or jacket n, surrounding the steam-nozz e, so that the steam-jet when discharged-into the stack will draw into the stack through the air pipe or jacket a large volume of air at a much lower temperature than that of the steam. When it is desired to use our apparatus merely for a cooling or dryin device close and if heated air is desired the chamber B is merely used as an air-heating chamber, orif cool air only is desired the slidedamper b and'the air-valves E F are left open to any desired extent, so that the fan D 3 5 will force a coolin and drying current of air through the stack A and out of the exhaust R.

It will of course be understood that our process is suitable for use in an treatment of grain out of condit1on for w atever cause where its condition wlll-be treatment by the process describe We claim- 1. The process'of treating grain which com- 4 5 prises subjecting superficially moistened the valves I, L, O, and Q are fu improved by grain to the action of cooled bleaching chemlcal fumes.

2. The process of treating grain which comprises subjecting superficiallymoistened grain to the action of cooled fumes of sulfurous as. 3. he process of treating grain which comprises subjecting superficially-moistened grain to the action of sulfurous fiunes cooled and diluted with several times their own vol- 6. The process of treating grain,wbich ccmsists in supplying free moisture to a treating zone, supplying cooled and diluted sulfurous mes to said treating zone, and passing the grain to be treated through the said treatin zone and in the presence of said moisture and said fumes.

7. The process of treating grain,which comprises supplyin free moisture to a treating zone, also supp ying cooled sulfurous fumes to said treatm zone, and passing the'grain to betreated t ough said treating zone and in the presence of said moisture and said fumesr HARRY J. CALDWELL. JAMES R. BARR Witnesses JAMES BOLDMAN, WM. Bowman. 

